How to Write Dates in Standard American English
Dates are an essential part of our daily lives, and it is important to be able to write them correctly. There are several different ways to write dates in English, and the most common format depends on the type of document you are writing.
Formal Dates
Formal dates are typically used in business letters, legal documents, and other formal writing. The format for a formal date is:
Month Day, Year
For example, the formal date for July 4, 1776 is:
July 4, 1776
Informal Dates
Informal dates are typically used in personal letters, emails, and other informal writing. The format for an informal date is:
Month Day, Year
For example, the informal date for July 4, 1776 is:
July 4, 1776
Ordinal Dates
Ordinal dates are used to indicate the specific day of the month. The format for an ordinal date is:
Day Ordinal Indicator, Month Year
The ordinal indicators are:
- 1st
- 2nd
- 3rd
- 4th
- 5th
- 6th
- 7th
- 8th
- 9th
- 10th
- 11th
- 12th
- 13th
- 14th
- 15th
- 16th
- 17th
- 18th
- 19th
- 20th
- 21st
- 22nd
- 23rd
- 24th
- 25th
- 26th
- 27th
- 28th
- 29th
- 30th
- 31st
For example, the ordinal date for July 4, 1776 is:
4th July, 1776
Year Only
In some cases, you may only need to write the year. The format for a year only date is:
Year
For example, the year only date for 1776 is:
1776
Additional Information
- When writing a date that includes the year, it is not necessary to include the century. For example, you can write "July 4, 1776" instead of "July 4, 170076".
- When writing a date that includes the month and day, it is not necessary to include the year. For example, you can write "July 4" instead of "July 4, 2023".
- When writing a date that includes the day and year, it is not necessary to include the month. For example, you can write "4 July, 1776" instead of "4 July, 2023".
Examples
The following are some examples of correctly written dates:
- July 4, 1776
- 4th July, 1776
- July 4
- 4 July
- 1776
FAQ
Q: What is the difference between a formal date and an informal date?
A: Formal dates are typically used in business letters, legal documents, and other formal writing. Informal dates are typically used in personal letters, emails, and other informal writing.
Q: What is the format for a formal date?
A: The format for a formal date is:
Month Day, Year
Q: What is the format for an informal date?
A: The format for an informal date is:
Month Day, Year
Q: What is the format for an ordinal date?
A: The format for an ordinal date is:
Day Ordinal Indicator, Month Year
Q: When writing a date that includes the year, is it necessary to include the century?
A: No, it is not necessary to include the century when writing a date that includes the year.
Q: When writing a date that includes the month and day, is it necessary to include the year?
A: No, it is not necessary to include the year when writing a date that includes the month and day.
Q: When writing a date that includes the day and year, is it necessary to include the month?
A: No, it is not necessary to include the month when writing a date that includes the day and year.
